The other one

By Josh Black
September 15 2011

Both Saracens and Worcester go into this weekend's match with mixed form. The home side were out of sorts in their opening game, allowing a well-organised and motivated Wasps side a surprise victory before an error-strewn performance against an equally rusty Bath led to a surprise win (a surprise to lose who could bear to follow Owen Farrell's final minute penalty onto both posts before it crossed through them).

Worcester may be the new boys, but they are also old hands. Coach Richard Hill (no, the other one) is a hard man to please and Pat Sanderson will have been looking forward to beating brother Alex's team for a season, whether as player or as coach now that he has been forced to retire. Given a fortuitous start to the season with a home match against Sale Sharks, still a new team under a new manager, they announced themselves to the Premiership (again) with a solid enough performance. Last weekend's trip to Kingsholm proved too much for them, however, and the routine of victory at home and defeat on the road may well become something Warriors fans have to get used to this year.

Despite a keenness for West Country grunt, Worcester are an attacking team (the last time these two met was at Wembley about eighteen months ago in a flowing encounter). Ceri Jones, Matt Mullen, Neil Best and Kai Horstmann are the experience in a strong forward pack, but much of the danger comes from a trio with plenty of pace and an eye for a one on one; Miles Benjamin, Marcel Garvey and new signing Eric Claasens. Loose kicking will be punished.

Then there is the half back partnership of Shaun Perry and Andy Goode (presenting a journalists worst nightmare, should Alex get the nod to start at full back for Sarries). Saracens fans will remember Goode as a talented player, who nonetheless seemed perfectly happy kicking the ball out on the full for forty minutes. His surprising pace and eye for a gap either in or behind a defensive line make him dangerous, however, and he is likely to be selected ahead of Joe Carlisle for his experience after the former's howler let in Johnny May for a try last week. Unfortunately for Worcester, Perry appears to have been ruled out through injury, placing more pressure on the team's young scrum half reserves and their grizzled outside half to conjure something.

At this early stage of the season there seems little point in Saracens changing their team dramatically. Despite the apparent success of the Hodgson, Farrell, Barritt back line in the final quarter against Bath, there is a risk to the experiment that I would expect Saracens not to take. That said, Hodgson is due a start, even if Farrell does not deserve to be rested, and if Mark McCall is looking for his team to start building confidence, an experienced hand on the tiller will not go amiss. Outside Barritt, Rodd Penney or Duncan Taylor are possible outside centres and Joe Maddock could make a first start but Short and Goode will probably stay.

In the pack, Justin Melck's bravura performance against Bath will all but guarantee him a start. Andy Saull has had two poor games on the trot and might make way for one of the young guns, though getting to Goode will be crucial in this game. Jamie George might be better suited to this more abrasive match than Schalk Brits but there is no striking weakness in the Saracens team that started last week.

Part of the problem Saracens have had recently is that they seem more comfortable holding a slender lead or coming from behind than consolidating their position going into the final quarter. Worcester are undoubtedly an eighty minute team and will be hard to finish off, so will expect a bonus point and will want more. Expect Hodgson to show more of his kicking game than previously and not to defend on the wing. If Saracens have a rejuvenated back row doing their share of the work this weekend, it could be an attractive win, but I'd take ugly.

Likely teams:

Worcester: E Claassens, M Garvey, A Grove, D Rasmussen, M Benjamin, A Goode, J Arr; M Mullan, C Fortey, T Taumoepeau, J Percival, C Gillies, N Best, J Abbott, K Horstmann (capt).

Saracens: A Goode; J Maddock, D Taylor, B Barritt, J Short, C Hodgson, N de Kock; R Gill, J George, C Nieto, S Borthwick (capt), M Botha, J Melck, A Saull, E Joubert.